Tottenham's players and coaches have come in for major criticism this season.
Roberto de Zerbi has seven games left to turn things around and stave off relegation.
He will not tolerate interference and will not stand for players who won't do what he wants them to. If they fall short, they will be out.
De Zerbi's identity as a coach is about free-flowing and forward-passing football, which fits Tottenham too - it is what their fans want - but without having strong characters and a bit of well-directed leadership on the pitch, that will not count when the going gets tough.
Wherever I managed, having that kind of character in my team was always hugely important to me. I felt a sound base like that within the team gave even limited players a chance of being successful by getting results over the course of a long and demanding season.
To find out the character of these players, I would go through numerous routes to make sure the lad I was going to sign indeed had the right credentials.
Watching them in away games was a must, for example. So was speaking to their former coaches or managers - and players who had played with them.
Off the field, I'd try to put a picture together too. Did they go out a lot? Were they married? The whole process would be as thorough as I could make it. I should add that it did not always go to plan!
Spurs cannot sign anyone now to change things, so instead their players have to step up and show they have the ability to scrap it out and remain a Premier League side. If they are not up for the fight, they are going down.
I was once told by a very senior manager at a top club that my biggest challenge at a team I had just taken over would be to get everyone pulling together as one. If I could manage that, he said, I would have a great chance of success.
That applies to every manager, but with the added layers of management today, doing it has become even tougher. It has to be the target for De Zerbi and Spurs too, whatever division they are in next season.